It is often hard to understand the dangers of consuming fructose, because it’s frequently found in nature with fruit and vegetables, but fructose is also found in our everyday sugar(sucrose).  Sucrose is made up of about 50% glucose and 50% fructose.  High Fructose-Corn Syrup has found its self into almost every food option over the past 30 years, mostly due to its extremely low price and ability to increase shelf life and make bad things taste good.

Sugars have increased by astronomical amounts and our kids are drinking soda instead of water and fruit juices instead of whole fruits.  Consuming just 1 can of soda(12 oz.) a day will add 16lb/yr.  

The harm comes from the amount of sugars we consume and how our bodies metabolized fructose.

5 Reasons Why NOT to consume Fructose 

1. Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver and can’t be used for energy by your body’s cells.  It’s therefore not only completely useless for the body, but is also a toxin in high enough amounts.  The main job of the liver is to get rid of fructose, mainly by transforming it into fat and sending that fat to our fat cells.

2. Fructose does not suppress the hunger hormone ghrelin, which tells your body when to stop eating.

3.  Excess fructose damages the liver and leads to insulin resistance in the liver as well as fatty liver disease. FACT, fructose has the same effects on the liver and alcohol(ethanol), which is already well known as a liver toxin.

4. Fructose reacts with proteins and polyunsaturated fats in our bodies 7 times more than glucose.  This reaction creates AGEs (Advanced glycation end-products), which are compounds that damage our cells and cause inflammation among other chronic diseases.

5.  Fructose rapidly causes leptin resistance.  leptin is the hormone that controls appetite and metabolism to maintain normal weight.  Leptin resistant people tend to gain weight much easier.

Tips to limit Fructose

** Get rid of any sugary beverages — only water and milk

** Each your Carbohydrates with fiber

** Wait 20 minutes before a second serving

** Exercise regularly

It’s good to keep in mind that fructose, in small amounts, has been in our diets for a very long time and as a species we can usually handle small amounts very well.  As a rule, anything above 50g a day becomes problematic.

 If you want more information on the effects of fructose on your health, watch this video by Robert H. Lustig, MD .  It’s not short but knowledge is power!